


Smile

by PolarGrizz47



Series: Daemon Overwatch AU [8]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Eventual Ship - Freeform, F/F, M/M, McCree being sleepy, Zarya and Mei being adorbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 01:59:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7080019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarGrizz47/pseuds/PolarGrizz47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I-I just wanted to say thank you,” Mei says quickly, getting red in the face as Zarya sends her a wide smile. “You really saved my bacon back there.”</p><p>The strange phrase was foreign to Mei, she’d heard McCree say it a long while back, and didn’t know why she’d said that. Zarya only smiles wider, a loud laugh tumbling from her lips.</p><p> </p><p>More Daemon Overwatch au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'ed... ;___;

Zarya had seen plenty of strong, terrifying daemons in her days. Even the small ones could kill you if you weren’t careful, her mama had warned her one night while they sat together, curled up to hide away from the cold. 

Dusk hadn’t settled yet then, he was still small and pliant under her touch. Now, as she looks at her massive daemon and feels a grin pulling at her lips, Zarya couldn’t have been more pleased with their outcome.

She’d seen plenty of daemons throughout her journey but hadn’t quite seen another daemon quite like Dusk. Large and lumbering, graceful and terrifying. His dark eyes scanned about protectively, and his rumbling, tremendous roar made enemies scramble back. Thick fur protected his muscled body, large claws brushing against his belly as he stood on his hind legs and canted rounded ears about. 

Warm, protective and large, Dusk had settled into a grizzly bear before the eve of Zarya’s  sixteenth birthday.

She hadn’t met another bear daemon before joining Overwatch, well, more like being recruited by the tag team of misfits up against the odds. Their daemons ranged from extraordinary to ordinary. Atop the list of extraordinary had easily been Hanzo’s dragon, Aiko. Zarya had never seen such a beast quite like that, Aiko a graceful package of power and precision, just like Hanzo. Another daemon that was impressive in its own right was Symmetra’s daemon, a masked weaver who fancied itself an architect much like the woman. Advik was often seen fluttering about the woman, perching on her headgear and oftentimes Symmetra’s fingers while she bent reality to a way that she saw fit.

But even all that glory was easily trumped when she saw Mei’s daemon, her breath stolen away as the large creature came lumbering in beside the friendly climatologist, rounded ears flickering about and large, clawed paws thumping heavily on the ground.

A polar bear - she had  _ a bear - _ just like Zarya.

Even Dusk had stared at that fuzzy, golden white coat, looking to be in shock much like Zarya. They learned later that her daemon’s name was Xue and McCree had teased her for staring at the two of them like a lovestruck teenager. However, his laughing stopped as Zarya merely grabbed him by the serape and growled something about Hanzo that had the cowboy going red all the way to the tips of his ears. 

Satisfied, she’d let the outlaw vanish uncaringly, making herself comfortable outside on the balcony with Dusk at her side, still stealing occasional glances towards Mei and Xue, especially when the shorter woman giggled excitedly about something.

-:-

Xue was about as terrifying in combat as Zarya had come to expect. He constantly flanked and shielded Mei, large claws slashing and mouth open to advance on their enemies. The polar bear was completely at ease with being so close to Mei’s endothermic blaster, perhaps even finding the chill to be  _ comforting.  _

Both had a passion for the climate, especially the colder parts, something Zarya could relate to.

Sighing dreamily as she watched the smaller woman make an enemy frozen solid, Zarya punched a Talon member in the throat and left the sputtering guy behind for Dusk to finish off with a slash and a roar of his own.

It wasn’t long until they’d pushed the Talon strike team back, Winston complimenting their hard work while Mei pats at Xue’s warm flank and sends Zarya a thumbs up and a wide smile.

The taller tries to ignore the way her heart flutters, reaching up to toy with her pink hair as she pushes it back into place with a slight smile of her own in return.

-:-

“Okay, big guy,” Zarya huffs, a large brush in hand. “Time to get that fur coat all pretty.”

“Why must we do this?” The large bear mutters lips curling unhappily as he plops down beside the weightlifter, his paws brushing against the ground and legs slotted in front of him. Zarya merely tutts while running the brush gently over her daemon’s back.

“Because, you shed  _ everywhere _ if we don’t,” She smoothes her pink fingernails over his ears, scratching him fondly as the bear lets out a pleased rumble despite being so grumpy about being brushed.

They sit like that for a long while, Zarya brushing aside loose fur and revealing a shinier, healthier coat underneath while Dusk preens under the touch. Soon, a large pile of dead fur needs to be tossed away, and the bear looks less like a burnt marshmallow and more like a finely sculpted creature of muscle. 

Nodding to herself, Zarya mutters, “Da,” under her breath before moving to stand. One large palm swoops up the fur, depositing it into a nearby bin and then dusting herself off. “Feel better?”

The bear rolls to his feet, placing all four paws on the ground before he slowly begins to shake himself out, fluffing up against somewhat comfortably. “Surprisingly so,” His gravely voice rumbles before he nudges Zarya and lumbers along beside her. “Perhaps I should go show off,” He muses with another rumble.

“Show off?” Zarya raises a dark brow, green eyes narrowing suspiciously.

The grizzly nods, flicking his ears before concluding, “To that girl with the drone, and the bear… Hmmm, Mei? I quite like her,” Dusk sends Zarya a lippy grin, and is rewarded with a swat on the top of his head for his troubles.

His grumbling laughs echo in the room as Zarya feels her scarred features flush.

_ Da, I quite like them too _ , she thinks, smiling to herself for a gentle moment.

-:-

“Watch out!” McCree’s warning echoes through the area, his spurs sounding strange against the ground as he rolls to collect up River and avoid a barrage of bullets from a turret above. He couldn’t recall when Talon started using these damn automated turrets,  but they’d already made Aiko lose a few scales and left Mercy rushing about to deliver aid.

The dragon swiftly coils around Hanzo and drags him off the vantage point he’d climbed onto, much to the assassin’s annoyance just before several bullets smack into the ground where he was once standing. 

Mei was sure that she was a goner, her hands scrambling to refill her weapon and grant her excess ice to encase herself in, but it still wasn’t  _ quick enough _ . The turret sent a spitfire of bullets towards her, Xue letting out a panicked grunt from somewhere behind her. Dark eyes squeezed closed, preparing herself for pain and then Mercy’s worried voice, but instead of blood and agony, she felt  _ nothing. _

Blinking her eyes open, she finds herself enveloped in a strong projected shield, the pink and blue color reflecting on her lenses as she watches bullets ping off the strange bubble harmlessly. Before she can marvel at it, Xue is grabbing her with a roar of,  _ “Move, _ Mei!” His large paw drags her behind the cover of a cement wall just as the shield flickers around her and dissipates. She gasps, pressing her back against the wall and watching her large daemon mirror her actions.

From across the way, she can see Zarya glaring at the turret, her pink hair still in its style and the towering grizzly bear standing beside her on his hind legs. The particle cannon is held tight in her hands as she peeks out from behind her cover, sending Mei a slight nod when she sees the older woman staring at her with wide, thankful eyes. 

“Is everyone alright?” Mercy’s slightly frantic voice filters through their communicators, making Mei nod before she realizes that the medic can’t see her.

Reaching a hand up, the climatologist taps at her ear and speaks, “W-We’re all okay!”

“A turret has us pinned down like a couple of fish in a barrel,” McCree notes into the communicator, making Hanzo sigh at his strange emphasis and Zarya chuckle. 

“Any chance you could lend a hand?” Hanzo asks then, accented voice neat and quick, never having been one to waste precious time on a mission. They’d gotten the required objective, and it was strapped to Zarya’s back, covered by a reinforced pack that Winston had designed. “I would like to make it back in time for lunch.”

That makes Mercy laugh before Winston’s voice cuts into the radio chatter, “I think I can manage something. Brace yourselves.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Jesse notes while tipping his hat to shield his face while River huddles behind his legs, covering her small body with some of his bulk.

Hanzo smirk to himself while peeking through Aiko’s scaly body, the dragon refusing to leave him open for attack until the turret has been taken care off. He doesn’t have to wait long for freedom, as there was a rather loud explosion followed by a blast of warm heat as the turret was blown to smithereens right in front of them.

McCree’s serape flutters in the blowback breeze, Mei’s own breath stolen away as she hears pieces of the metal thudding to the ground, with several surprised cries of the remaining Talon members. 

Zarya peeks around the corner and motions them forwards with a wave, “Looks clear. Let’s go eat, da?” She grins at Hanzo as Aiko and the assassin peeks out also. 

The outlaw is the first to step out, tapping his communicator as he keeps his revolver held tight in his gloved hand, “Thanks, partner. Mighty fine shootin’.”

“No problem, just get to the pick-up zone quickly before more of these fellows show up,” Winston replies and the small infiltrative team quickly makes their way over, cleaning up any other Talon members they come across.

Mercy meets them at the open doors, the doctor making sure they were as healthy as they claimed to be as she ushers them in. Mei and Xue amble in, closely followed by Zarya and Dusk, the carrier’s doors creaking at the massive combined weight of armor and pure muscle. Hanzo and Aiko dart in, only pausing to see McCree fire off one more shot before the assassin tugs the outlaw into the safety of their aircraft. The coyote goes zipping by, tail wagging and armor stained with blood from several enemies, high on the feel of a mission well done.

Winston shouts from the pilot cabin, “Did you get it?”

_ “Pft,  _ did we get it,” Jesse says proudly, holstering his Peacekeeper and settling his serape over his shoulders neatly. Hanzo buckles his bow in its place onto his back, hands fluttering over his quiver to count his remaining arrows, finding three left over from their run. They’d done good work, Zarya and Mei proving to be fantastic aids for the outlaw and the assassin. 

“Mission accomplished,” Mei chirps, her gloved hands smoothing over Xue’s fur while Zarya shrugs out of the pack and gently places it into Mercy’s awaiting arms. “What is it?” The smaller woman asks, staring up at the doctor with dark, curious eyes.

“Experimental technology, something I’ve been _dying_ to get my hands on. It could open the field of medical technology up even further!” The doctor says excitedly before hurrying off, her boots clicking against the carrier’s metal bottom as she does so. Mei watches her go with a sigh, thankful to have the mission over. She wasn’t too keen on taking lives, but it was Talon…

Zarya taking a seat heavily on several cargo carts catches her attention, and she can feel Xue nudging her forwards to thank the Russian for her quick shielding. Mei shuffles forwards shyly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she sees the larger woman’s green eyes focusing on her. 

“I-I just wanted to say thank you,” Mei says quickly, getting red in the face as Zarya sends her a wide smile. “You really saved my bacon back there.”

The strange phrase was foreign to Mei, she’d heard McCree say it a long while back, and didn’t know  _ why _ she’d said that. Zarya only smiles wider, a loud laugh tumbling from her lips.

Mei thought that her smile looked quite _beautiful._

“No problem,” The woman says, patting at the seat beside her. “We are a team. I  _ always _ protect my team,” Zarya's voice lowers a hair, a sudden spark of bravery tingling over her skin, “And those I care about.”

Mei’s face only gets redder, but she can’t stop the grin that blossoms over features, feeling only warmth spreading into her body at the sight of the Russian’s lopsided grin.

Yes, Mei thinks again, quite a _lovely_ smile.

-:-

“So, what’re we gettin’ for grub?” McCree asks, picking at the spurs as he sits cross-legged beside Hanzo. The assassin watches him fondly, long used to Jesse’s after battle sleepiness. The taller man was leaning into him, eyes drooped tiredly and voice a bit slurred.

Hanzo thinks it's charmingly adorable, another trait that he’d never tire of with Jesse.

“Perhaps you would fancy something cold?” Hanzo half questions half states, giving a slight nod to the sweat dried along McCree’s brow. The mission had been in tight quarters, the warmth of the battle around them even making even the assassin break a slight sweat.

McCree gives a nod, a smile twitching onto his lips. “I could go for somethin’ chilly,” He agrees, letting Hanzo trace over the edges of his robotic hand. 

Hanzo pulls McCree’s head onto his shoulder, patting at the outlaw’s shoulder. “Sushi?” The older man ventures hopefully, watching while Jesse pulls a face. “I can make you a substitute of the salmon,” he adds, tangling his fingers into McCree’s shaggy hair. Strangely, the cowboy didn’t like fish. 

“If ya want to, I wouldn’t mind,” McCree finally answers, letting his eyes close and his senses be overwhelmed with the calming sensations of Hanzo and their two daemons. For a moment, they bask in the silence before Jesse cracks open an eye with a curious hum, “Should we invite the girls?”

Hanzo perks up, turning his head towards Mei and Zarya. He smirks when he sees Mei laughing and Zarya smiling, both of the women's faces painted with red, but not out of embarrassment. Even their bears seemed to be getting along, brown and white fur resting close by as they nosed about the cargo. The assassin tangles his fingers further into McCree’s soft locks of hair, “No, I think they’re already making plans,” He says knowingly, the smirk still on his lips. 

Jesse gives a lazy grumble, closing his eyes easily and petting at River as the coyote rests her head in his lap.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhh, these two and the ships... KILL ME. So cute. McCree and Mei are my babs. 
> 
> Zarya's Daemon: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Grizzlybear55.jpg  
> Mei's Daemon: http://animalfactguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/iStock_000003820730XSmall.jpg  
> Symmetra’s Daemon: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4076/4741742612_5d6eb73d6c_b.jpg
> 
> Hope you liked it, I was kinda nervous about posting this... ;___;"
> 
> Love to hear feedback ! <3


End file.
